With Pablo Hernandez turning 34 in April and Jack Harrison’s inconsistency, the Whites should look to address these issues in January.
No team worth their salt should ever rest on their laurels, so even though Leeds United have enjoyed a superb first half of the Championship season and sit top of the table, there’s still a lot of work to do not only to reach the ultimate goal of promotion, but also going forward to ensure they can be competitive in the Premier League.
The Whites have been rocked by the impending departure of Samu Saiz to Getafe, while as good as Pablo Hernandez has been this season, the fact that he turns 34 in April means the club should start considering other options for both short-term rotational purposes and as a prospective long-term replacement.
One player at a rival Championship club has been superb for his team this season and as such has been linked with several Premier League clubs as well as one of the three sides in the race for the second-tier title, so Leeds should consider taking a look at him.
Winger Joe Lolley has been one of Nottingham Forest’s standout players this season, his dynamic style of play rewarded with six goals and seven assists in the league this season, according to Transfermarkt.
Already the 26-year-old has been linked with Crystal Palace and Watford, as per the Daily Mail, while fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion is also reported by the same outlet as monitoring the Forest ace and Teamtalk suggests Bournemouth have their name in the hat too.
Lolley has played on both sides of attacking midfield in Aitor Karanka’s preferred 4-2-3-1, so he could surely do a job on either flank in Marcelo Bielsa’s 4-1-4-1, the midfield or attacking flanks of the 3-4-3, or indeed in the 4-2-3-1, as was used against Aston Villa (Sky Sports).
The Reds man would be able to give Hernandez respite from time to time, or potentially allow the Spaniard to shift into Saiz’s position in the middle of the park, and even though Jack Harrison was much improved against Blackburn, Lolley is another option in case the Manchester City loanee puts in another disappointing showing like at Aston Villa.
Leeds should definitely look to test the waters with a bid for Lolley – Bournemouth are said to be considering a £10m offer, according to Teamtalk – and, should they be successful, they would have a high-quality player for the present and for the future.
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